Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment in Dallas: A Patient’s Nine-Month Story

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By Deborah Westergaard, M.D. Dallas | Regen Experts Dallas & Plano

Lumbar degenerative disc disease treatment Dallas

What happens when lumbar degenerative disc disease begins taking away your sleep, mobility, work, and time with your family?

For one of my patients, the pain had become nearly debilitating. She described it as an 8 or 9 out of 10. Walking hurt. Getting out of a chair hurt. Pain extended through the left side of her back and affected her hip and knees. Even sleeping had become difficult.

After years of different treatments, she was not simply looking for another temporary intervention. She wanted to understand whether there was a more precise, nonsurgical option that might help her remain active as she grew older.

In October 2025, after reviewing her history, imaging, examination findings, and previous treatment response, I performed a four-level lumbar degenerative disc disease procedure using Regenexx orthobiologics.

At her nine-month follow-up, she described her pain with ordinary walking and daily activity as nearly zero.

Her experience does not predict what another patient will experience. It does, however, illustrate why persistent back pain deserves a careful evaluation before someone assumes that living with the pain—or proceeding directly to surgery—are the only remaining choices.

Can Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease Be Treated Without Surgery?

In many cases, lumbar degenerative disc disease can initially be managed without surgery. The appropriate treatment depends on what is generating the pain, whether nerves are involved, the degree of instability, the patient’s overall health, and whether there are neurological findings requiring surgical evaluation.

“Degenerative disc disease” is not one uniform condition. An MRI may show disc-height loss, tears, bulging, arthritis, stenosis, or other age-related changes, but an image alone does not establish which structure is producing a person’s symptoms.

That is why I treat the patient, not simply the picture.

A meaningful evaluation should connect three things:

• What the patient feels and can no longer do

• What the physical examination reveals

• Whether the imaging findings correspond to the symptoms

Some patients remain appropriate candidates for physical therapy, activity modification, medication, or other conservative care. Certain patients may be candidates for precisely targeted orthobiologic procedures. Others need a surgical consultation. Excellence in medical decision-making includes recognizing each of these possibilities and explaining

them candidly.

From Debilitating Back Pain to a Different Daily Life

Before her procedure, this patient had already spent years pursuing different treatments. Her pain affected some of the most basic parts of life: sleeping, standing, walking, working, and being present with her family.

At her nine-month follow-up, she said:

“Nine months later, I am really pain-free to the extent that it is no longer keeping me from doing the things I love to do, whether it’s work or walking or being with my family.”

When asked to compare her pain levels, she described her pain before treatment as an 8 or 9 out of 10. At the follow-up, she characterized it as nearly zero when getting up and walking around.

That change was meaningful because it was not only about a number. It was about recovering access to ordinary life.

Her persistence through years of pain reflects resilience. Her outcome reflects her individual experience of transformation. Neither replaces the need for appropriate diagnosis, careful patient selection, technical precision, and realistic expectations.

What Is a Four-Level Lumbar DDD Procedure?

A four-level lumbar degenerative disc disease procedure is not simply one injection placed wherever an MRI appears abnormal.

The lumbar spine functions as an interconnected system. Depending on the individual patient, potential pain generators may include discs, facet joints, ligaments, irritated spinal nerves, and the stabilizing muscles surrounding the spine.

A Regenexx lumbar DDD spine procedure is planned according to the structures believed to be contributing to that particular patient’s pain and loss of function. Orthobiologic preparations derived from the patient’s own blood or bone marrow may be considered, depending on the diagnosis and procedural plan.

The goal is not to claim that an injection can make an aging spine new again. The goal is to use the least invasive appropriate option to address identified pain generators, support function, and potentially help a properly selected patient delay or avoid more invasive treatment.

Research evaluating platelet-based treatments for lumbar spine conditions is continuing to develop. Reviews have reported encouraging findings for some patients with degenerative low-back pain, while also emphasizing variation among techniques and the need for additional high-quality studies. A 2024 review examined intradiscal, facet, epidural, and multi-target platelet-based approaches and identified important gaps that future trials still need to address.

Treatment decisions should therefore be based on an individualized clinical evaluation—not on a promise that one procedure works for everyone.

Why Precision Matters in Spine Orthobiologics

The spine contains tightly arranged nerves, joints, ligaments, blood vessels, and other sensitive structures. Precision is therefore fundamental to both treatment planning and procedural execution.

For lumbar spine orthobiologic procedures, I use fluoroscopic guidance when it is appropriate for the target. Fluoroscopy provides continuous visualization of bony landmarks, while contrast can help confirm where an injectate is spreading before the therapeutic material is delivered.

As a board-certified anesthesiologist and board-certified pain medicine physician, I have spent more than three decades performing image-guided procedures and evaluating complex pain conditions. That experience shapes every part of the process, from reviewing the imaging to determining which structures may matter and deciding when a procedure is not the right answer.

Technology is important, but judgment determines how it is used.

How to Avoid Back Surgery in Dallas—When It Is Medically Appropriate

Patients frequently ask, “Can I avoid back surgery?”

The most accurate answer is: possibly, depending on the diagnosis.

Avoiding surgery should not mean postponing a necessary operation. Progressive weakness, bowel or bladder dysfunction, saddle anesthesia, severe instability, infection, fracture, or certain other conditions may require urgent or surgical care.

For patients without those indications, a nonsurgical evaluation may identify other appropriate options. These can include rehabilitation, changes in movement or activity, medication management, carefully selected conventional interventions, or image-guided spine orthobiologics.

A second opinion may be especially valuable when:

• Back pain continues despite months or years of treatment

• Relief from previous injections has been brief

• Surgery has been proposed, but the patient wants to understand other options

• The MRI report does not seem to explain the symptoms

• Pain is interfering with sleep, walking, work, exercise, or family life

• The patient wants an individualized plan rather than a one-size-fits-all procedure

The objective is not to oppose surgery. It is to make sure the decision is informed, appropriately timed, and based on the complete clinical picture.

What Makes Someone a Candidate for Nonsurgical Lumbar DDD Treatment?

Candidacy cannot be determined from an online symptom list or an MRI report alone.

During an evaluation, I consider:

• Where the pain begins and where it travels

• Whether symptoms suggest disc, joint, ligament, muscular, or nerve involvement

• Strength, sensation, reflexes, balance, and functional movement

• Previous treatments and how long any improvement lasted

• MRI and X-ray findings

• General health and factors that may affect healing

• The patient’s functional goals and expectations

After that evaluation, I explain what I believe is causing the symptoms, which options are reasonable, and whether a Regenexx procedure may be appropriate.

Sometimes the most valuable result of an evaluation is learning that an orthobiologic procedure is not the answer. Quality care requires making that distinction.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease

What is lumbar degenerative disc disease?

Lumbar degenerative disc disease describes age-related or injury-related changes affecting one or more discs in the lower back. These changes can include loss of disc hydration or height, tearing, bulging, and changes in the surrounding spinal structures. Degenerative findings on MRI do not always cause pain.

Can degenerative disc disease cause hip or leg pain?

Yes. Depending on the structures involved, lumbar degeneration may be associated with pain in the back, buttock, hip, or leg. Nerve irritation can also produce numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness. A clinical examination is needed to determine whether symptoms are arising from the spine or another structure.

Does a four-level procedure mean four discs are injected?

Not necessarily. “Four-level lumbar DDD procedure” describes the levels addressed in an individualized treatment plan. The specific targets and orthobiologic preparation depend on the patient’s examination, imaging, diagnosis, and procedural strategy.

Can orthobiologics reverse degenerative disc disease?

Orthobiologic treatment should not be presented as a way to reverse normal aging or guarantee that a degenerated disc will regenerate. Treatment goals may include reducing pain and improving function in an appropriately selected patient. The evidence is evolving, and individual outcomes vary.

How long does it take to know whether a Regenexx spine procedure helped?

Recovery and response vary by patient and procedure. Improvement may develop gradually rather than immediately. Diagnosis, chronicity, overall health, activity, rehabilitation, and adherence to post-procedure recommendations can all influence the response.

Is Regenexx the same as a conventional steroid injection?

No. Regenexx procedures use customized orthobiologic preparations made from the patient’s own blood or bone marrow, depending on the procedure. Steroid injections use corticosteroid medication and have a different purpose and biological effect.

Can Regenexx guarantee that I will avoid back surgery?

No. No responsible physician can guarantee that a procedure will eliminate pain or prevent future surgery. The purpose of an evaluation is to determine whether a nonsurgical option is medically reasonable and whether the potential benefits, limitations, and risks fit the individual patient’s condition.

A Precision Evaluation Can Help You Understand Your Options

If back pain is limiting the life you want to live, a precision evaluation can help you understand your options—and whether a nonsurgical orthobiologic approach may be appropriate for you.

At Regen Experts, I evaluate patients from Dallas, Preston Center, North Dallas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and surrounding communities. I personally review the imaging, perform the examination, develop the treatment plan, and perform the procedure.

The first step is not committing to treatment. It is understanding what may be causing the pain and what choices are medically appropriate.

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Important Notice About This Patient Testimonial

This article describes the experience of one individual patient. Her outcome is not necessarily typical and should not be interpreted as a promise, guarantee, or representation of what another patient will experience.

Results from Regenexx procedures vary and depend on many factors, including the diagnosis, severity and duration of the condition, overall health, activity level, adherence to post-procedure recommendations, and other individual variables. Not every patient is a candidate. All medical procedures carry potential risks.

Patients sometimes use terms such as “stem cell treatment” or “regenerative medicine” when discussing orthobiologic procedures. These terms may encompass different products and procedures. Regen Experts uses carefully selected orthobiologic preparations derived from the patient’s own blood or bone marrow when medically appropriate.

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The evidence paragraph is deliberately measured. Published reviews characterize platelet-based lumbar treatments as promising while noting differences among procedures and the need for further research. 2024 lumbar PRP review, 2024 systematic evidence analysis.